Variables
by littlemsbookworm
Summary: ON HIATUS What if there had been a future Flora in addition to a future Luke and Layton? How would the story be different? Spoilers for Unwound Future
1. Prologue

**What if there had been a future Flora? Who would she be, and how would she fit into the story? I guess you'll have to read to find out :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Professor Layton. Darn.**

It was time. Exactly four fifty-six pm, just as he said. It was at this time that she was to set out to the clock shop, arriving at exactly five o clock, the exact time when phase two of the plan would begin, when it _must_ begin. Clive always was very meticulous, and even the slightest slip-up could crush his excruciatingly complex plan into the ground. It was with this thought in mind, and the thought of what he would do if she was late, that made the girl slowly force herself to cross the small room towards the door. All the objects in the way made it difficult to discern the room's foremost purpose as a bedroom, except for the bed in the far corner, and the large mahogany dresser against one of the walls. In its mirror behind the dirty glass, the girl could just make out her reflection.

A smooth round face with two dark eyes, framed by simple brown hair tied in a ponytail. Delicate lips turned down in a slight frown as she gazed at herself. She turned away.

The space was cluttered, an organized chaos, and she had to weave through stacks of books, papers, files, and folders on her way out, each organized into separate groups. The edge of her white dress tapped against a pile of papers, knocking it over. She bent to pick them up and found herself gazing at the faces of three people. A boy and girl stood on either side of an older man in a brown top hat, all three smiling happily up at the camera. Every paper in the pile held pictures like these, some old and faded, some new, but each with the same three people in it. The girl sighed, put the papers back where they belonged, and stood up. She couldn't be late.

Reaching the door, she put out her hand to turn the knob, taking a deep breath. After ten years of seclusion, could she really step outside and play this part? Yes. She needed to. It was the only way, but still her hand trembled as she twisted the brass knob. The door creaked open and the sunlight streamed in. Stepping outside she took a breath of fresh air, gazing at the city that spread before her, at the many buildings, roads, and people; at her London, the beautiful city that she held so dear, and for which she would fulfill her task that required her to step outside into the cold, harsh world. Still lost in thought, she tied the bright orange scarf she carried over her head, and hurried down the stairs and along the cobblestone street towards the clock shop.

**Aaghh I HATE writing beginnings of stories! So hard to get it started... Please bear with me!**

**And of course, thanks for reading! **


	2. Unexpected Influx

**Hooray, chapter 2! (or is it 1, since the last one was a prologue...? whatever, moving on.) Still kind of introductions in this chapter, but at least the story is starting to move along, so be thankful!**

**Disclaimer: STILL dont own PL. :(**

Flora Reinhold was angry. No, not just angry- she was furious. How many times were they going to do this? Didn't the professor and Luke realize that leaving her behind was _not _"what was best for her", and that she was probably in more danger wandering the streets of London alone then tagging along on their adventures? And then just leaving her without even a word of where they were going, when she went through all the trouble to make them tea and sandwiches! _Well this is the last straw_ she thought, storming out of the university to the bus stop. _I don't care whether they like it or not, I'm coming with!_

She spent the entire ride fuming, and it was only when she had gotten off the bus did she realize that she had no idea where she was. The driver of the bus had said that he had seen a man in a brown top hat and a boy in a blue hat get off at this stop, but she had never been on this street before in her life. The street sign read "Midland Road." It was a derelict little alley, with worn down buildings lining both sides of the street, and a musty smell in the air, as if no one had been there in a very long time, and it was completely deserted. There was no sign of Hershel Layton or his self-styled apprentice as Flora glanced around, but there were many places they _could_ be, as the path stretched far down past her line of sight. _Well, I might as well look around and see if the professor is still around here somewhere…_

As she turned to walk down the street she almost collided with two men who were walking the opposite direction. Looking up, she was surprised to see the broad shouldered figure of Inspector Chelmey.

"Inspector! What are you doing here?"

"Hm?" Chelmey said, looking down. "Oh, your Layton's girl. Flora, was it? I'm afraid I don't have time to deal with chit-chat right now, we're busy on the trail of these disappearances."

"Yes, we have to get moving right away, but it's a pleasure to see you Miss Flora!" chimed in Barton.

"Quiet Barton!" Chelmey snapped at the constable. "There's no time for small talk! We need to find Layton as soon as possible!"

"You're looking for the professor too?" Flora asked, wondering why on earth London's chief inspector was so intently on the trail of an archeology professor.

"Yes, there appears to be information on the disappearances and he seems to know more about them than he's letting on, so we need to find him and question him. Now if you'll excuse us." With that he pushed brusquely past her and headed down the street, Barton trailing behind like a naïve puppy.

Flora was confused about what the inspector had said, but he seemed to know where the professor was, so she decided to follow them down the shady alley. The inspector was moving fast, and she had to walk quickly to keep him in sight in the dim passage. When they turned a corner she broke into a run, not wanting to lose them in the dark. She turned the corner just in time to see them disappear into a small shop with a large clock on the roof. _Why did they go in here?_ She wondered, walking towards the curious looking shop. Reaching the entrance, she could hear a multitude of voices inside. Could one belong to the professor? She opened the door.

Inside there were rows and rows of clocks stacked on top of each other far and wide. All kinds, from tiny wristwatches to huge grandfather clocks, but none could compare to the massive timepiece in the very back, which was three times as tall as Flora. The bell above the door dinged loudly as she walked in, and six faces turned to the noise: the inspector and Barton, and elderly woman and man Flora had never met before, and in the very back none other than Professor Layton and Luke, both with stunned looks on their faces.

"F-Flora? What are you doing here?" Luke stammered.

"I'm going with you! I'm sick of you two leaving me behind! I don't know anyone in this town besides you! What am I supposed to do when you're gone? Sit and stare at the wall? Well I've got news for you- I'm not going to take it anymore!" Flora ranted, enjoying the looks of surprise and guilt on their faces, no doubt in shock that their little girl had such strong resentment inside her.

"Now Flora, you know that it's only for your own safety that we have you stay here." The professor began, but Chelmey cut in.

"I think the girl is right Layton, she deserves to go along with you."

"What? You as well inspector?" Hershel Layton sighed, adjusting his hat. "I really don't think-"

Just then the old man behind them spoke up for the first time, stroking his thick brown beard. "Professor, it's time to get moving; wouldn't want to keep Luke waiting any longer now would we?"

"But Cogg, I can't allow for Flora and the inspector to come along…"

"Nonsense!" the man replied walking over to a large lever near the back of the room. "The more the merrier I always say. Away to the future we go!"

Before Flora could even comprehend what had just happened he pulled the lever, and the world started to spin.

xXxXxXx

"Flora! Flora! Are you alright?" Luke's voice was muffled as Flora sat up, her head throbbing. Looking around, she saw that they were still in the clock shop, exactly as before. But then...what was with all that spinning?

"Wha-what's going on? What just happened?" she asked, putting a hand to her aching temple.

"We're in the future! Ten years from our time!" Luke said excitedly.

"Are you serious? How?" _Ten years into the future?_

"The clock is a time machine! Its amazing Flora! Everything is so different and-"Luke was interrupted by the ringing of many clocks. Flora glanced up; every timepiece in the room showed that it was exactly five o'clock.

Just then, more bells started ringing as two more people walked into the shop. Flora stood up to get a better look at the newcomers, and couldn't believe her eyes. The first was…Luke? Flora quickly glanced next to her. _No_, that's_ Luke…then who is that? _The young man bore a striking resemblance to the young apprentice, from the hat on his head down to the way he walked. _Didn't Luke just say we were in the future? Then… is this the future Luke? How is this even possible? _As she was trying to sort out her thoughts the man spoke, even his voice sounding like that of an older Luke.

"Ah, professor! I see you arrived back safely." The professor nodded and replied,

"Yes. I hope we haven't been keeping you waiting too long Luke, we ran into some…complications, along the way." He said, glancing at Chelmey, Barton and Flora.

"No worries professor," the man replied coolly, "I had matters that needed to be taken care of, so it's not a problem. There's someone I'd like you to meet."He stepped aside, revealing the second person who had entered the shop, and who had been almost hiding behind him until now. Flora gasped. It was like looking in a mirror. Same hair, same face, even the same orange scarf she always wore. If this was the future…then was that…

The young woman stepped forward and slowly took off the scarf, revealing chocolate brown hair tied with a red ribbon. Dark eyes glanced up at them, a small smile on her lips. Her voice was so soft, it was almost a whisper.

"Hello everyone. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Future Flora had arrived.

**dun dun dun...**

**Unfortunately, the next chapter could take a while to come out because starting soon i have to actually leave my house for more than an hour a day...darn world! **

**farewell for now, and of course, **

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Overlooked Significance

**Hoorah, chapter 3! It may seem like the story speeds up a bit in this chapter, but i wanted to get things moving, and because in the actual game at this part it's mostly pointless running around talking to townspeople. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PL. Oh, how i wish i did.**

"F-flora? Oh my goodness!" Luke could barely get the words out, his mouth was agape, his eyes wide in shock. Flora could feel herself having the same reaction and shut her mouth quickly. They were transported ten years into the future and now she was suddenly staring at her future self? It was almost too much to take in. Her head was now aching not only from the nauseating trip, but from this new reality she had dropped into as well. Her thoughts were cut short however, as the future Flora turned to look at the others and saw the professor for the first time.

She screamed, and her eyes filled with panic and hurt as she clutched the future Luke's arm, using him as a barrier. Looking perplexed, he followed her line of sight to the confused professor and then gave a small nod of understanding. Gently he moved to completely block Layton from her view, so that she was pressed against his chest, still hiding her face.

"Flora…Flora, listen to me. Calm down." He said softly, "It's not who you think, this isn't him. Not yet. He isn't going to hurt you." He turned his head to the rest of the people in the room, a pained look on his face.

"Whatever is the matter? Is she alright?" Professor Layton inquired.

"You see professor," the young man replied, still holding on to the other Flora, "you already know that in the future you are…not exactly a man of high caliber."

" Years ago, when you became fascinated with the past, you decided that you no longer wanted to care for Flora, so you threw her into the street, without any means of taking care of herself. She didn't know anyone else in London, and since I was away she had nowhere to go…" he broke off, lost in thought. "Professor Layton really did that?" Luke said, stunned. Flora couldn't believe it either; the professor, such a chivalrous and generous man, was going to leave her wasting away in the streets? "No..."

"Yet another reason why the past _must_ be changed. The damage your future self has caused is immense, and must be stopped, for the greater good." the elder Luke said.

Hershel Layton walked slowly over to where the future Luke and Flora stood. His voice was calm, but Flora could tell that he was troubled by the horrible news they had just recieved. "Flora, my dear…I…I am so sorry for what has happened. I assure you I will never to that to you. We must change what has happened; what will happen."

The adult Flora seemed to believe his words; Flora caught just the faintest glimpse of a tear as the girl slowly turned to face him, her hand still clutched around the older Luke's.

"Yes. Yes, you're right." She said quietly, trying to compose herself. "I know you are a good man professor; you won't become the man you are in this time. Please, forgive me for my… unladylike outburst." Flora noticed however, that she continued to look at him warily.

"Not at all my dear, I am finding that in this realm many mistake me to be my "other self" at first glance."

At that moment, Inspector Chelmey cut in brusquely, making both incarnations of Flora jump.

"Layton, I haven't the slightest clue as to what you're talking about, and I have a case to get back to. If you'll excuse us-"with that he stormed out of the shop without another word, Barton following his lead.

"That reminds me Professor," older Luke said "while you were back in your time, I did some reconnaissance on the Family. It seems the only way we're going to be able to reach your future self is to confront you directly, at the pagoda."

"I see." Layton mused. "So we should proceed there immediately. Flora," he said, "this will be extremely dangerous, so-"

"If you assume for one second I'm not going with you then-"both Floras cut off, realizing that they were saying the exact same thing. "I suppose old habits die hard." Future Flora said, a hint of a smile on her face.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

As the little group made their way to the Family stronghold, Flora couldn't help but stare at anything and everything. This London was so bizarre, so different, that it almost felt like they had stepped out of the clock shop into a whole different world. She was used to the worn look of the buildings in London, with their slightly outdated structures and architecture, but here it seemed that nothing had been renovated or fixed in an exceedingly long time. Shutters hung loosely off their hinges, and tattered curtains drifted in the wind. People lurked in the shadows, or clustered in small groups on the sides of the alley, their eyes cold, talking in whispers. On the street itself there were a great many potholes, and more than once she had to clutch Luke's shoulder for support as she fought to keep her balance while the road dipped, curved, and twisted.

Flora desperately wanted to talk to her older self, to ask so many questions. What was going to happen to her in the next ten years? What was going to happen to _everyone_? How did she survive all alone in London? And even more so, what was her relationship with Luke? In the present she cared about him deeply, but only as a sister would her brother. In this world, judging by the way her other self stayed constantly by his side never letting go of his hand, and seeming comfortable only by him, would their relationship become something more? All these questions burned inside her, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to catch up to the older girl. _Why are you so nervous about talking to yourself? _She thought irritably. _What are you afraid of?_ However, despite her internal nudging, she still couldn't brace her nerve, and by the time they reached the dark gates that announced the entrance to Chinatown, she had yet to speak to the other Flora.

The group stopped a way off, as there was opposition standing in their path in the form of two men in black suits. Both looked bored as they leaned against the gate, the taller of the two yawning as he glanced lazily around for signs of trespassers.

"Hmm. It appears we have a slight problem." The professor remarked quietly, staring at the two men.

"How are we gonna get by those creeps?" Luke asked, looking up at his older self.

"Well, if we can fool them into thinking that they are needed elsewhere, they may move away from the door."

"A sound assumption my boy." The professor said approvingly, "but how are we going to do that?"

"We need Bostro's voice. If they hear him calling, those two cowards will go running faster than you can say fool. But how to make it sound like his voice…"

"I… I can handle it, I think." Layton and Luke spun around to look at the older Flora, who was glancing down at her hands. She leaned over and whispered something in the older Luke's ear. He nodded.

"Yes, I think that's at least worth a try." He said softly. Raising his voice, he addressed the others. "Flora is going to try to imitate Bostro to scare them away from the gate." The small Luke looked at them quizzically. "Can you really do that?"

"Yes. I'm very good with voices." The girl replied, her voice still very soft. _I can't do that…I mean not well…_ Flora thought to herself, perplexed. It was true that she liked to imitate others, especially back home in St. Mystere as a child, but she had never considered herself any good at it. _It must be something I improve at later in life. _

Breaking out of her reverie, she realized that her other self and the other Luke had disappeared. She turned to ask the professor where they had gone, but he merely put a finger to his lips and motioned for her to back towards the clearing she strained her ears, but there was no need as at that moment a loud booming voice rang out through the clearing.

"Hey, you there! Get lost!" If she hadn't known otherwise, she'd have said that a large, irate man was heading towards them, and apparently the guards thought so as well, for they scurried away as quick as a pair of mice.

"It worked! It worked!" Luke exclaimed as their future selves reappeared next to them. "That was brilliant Flora! It sounded just like him! Those guys won't be coming back here anytime soon!" Shyly, she smiled at him. "Yes, it did work rather well, didn't it?"

XxXxXxXx

Finally, they reached the pagoda, the stronghold of the despicable crime family and their nefarious leader. The massive building was cold, dark, and foreboding, and looking up at it Flora felt a chill run down her spine.

"At last," Luke said, "were here! And somewhere up there is the future professor Layton."

"Perhaps," the professor replied coolly. "and perhaps not. I suspect this whole affair may be more… complex than we originally thought." As he spoke, Flora cast her gaze over to the older incarnations of herself and Luke. The lady Flora cast a worried glance up at the elder Luke, holding on to his arm tightly, while he himself sent a curious, almost… irritated look towards Layton as he spoke. But…why?

_What could it mean?_

**Thank you to all those who have reviewed/favorited/alerted this story, it really means alot! And of course,**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Lethal Catalyst

**Hooray, a new chapter! Thank you to everyone who has read/ reviewed so far, especially LaytonNumalukeNumaFlora for helping me to shake off my laziness and write this chapter, to LMT for giving me ideas for this chapter, and LMD (you know who you are) for getting me into PL in the first place :D Unfortunatley this will be the last chapter for a while, i really dont see any chance in my schedule to start the next one anytime soon; however i will be going back and editing the previous chapters. That's all for now, and thank you for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PL. Yet.**

There was tension in the air as the little group made their way upwards in the pagoda, and it seemed to Flora that everyone was on edge with one emotion or another. Luke, though trying to convey a tough exterior was visibly anxious, constantly glancing around and behind them as if Family goons were about to pop out of the woodwork any second. Conversely, the older Luke continued to stare straight ahead looking aggravated, although why Flora couldn't be sure, and her older self still seemed to be troubled as well. Most puzzling of all was the professor, who continued to gaze at the future Luke and Flora, a calculating look on his face. There seemed to be some sort of unspoken message being sent between Layton and the elder Luke, one that neither wanted to openly acknowledge but that hung heavy in the air between them. Flora herself was exhausted and overwhelmed by all that had happened so far, and she felt that there was something deeper behind all that was going on, something more intricate than it had originally seemed. She still wanted to talk to the future Flora, and although during a top secret infiltration of a crime syndicate wasn't exactly the best time, it was better than never, so she resolved to speak with her as soon as possible.

Her moment of opportunity arrived when they entered a large room filled with mirrors; even the ground was entirely reflective. As they walked through, Flora noticed that all the mirrors on the walls were different kinds; some large, some small, one with intricate gold design on the frame, another that looked almost as if someone had stolen it from above a bathroom sink and hung it on the wall. Up ahead a large doorway signaled an exit into another part of the pagoda, but it was locked tight with some sort of puzzle mechanism. The professor stepped forward, examined it carefully, and then turned to the group.

'It appears we will have to solve this puzzle before proceeding onward. Lukes, come see if you can give me a hand with it would you?"

As the three of them moved to the door, the two girls were left standing in the middle of the room. Flora cautiously turned to face the woman next to her, mentally preparing to finally talk to herself, but to her surprise the other Flora spoke first.

"Is there…something you want to ask me?"

Flora, not expecting the question, was thrown off for a second, and struggled to form a coherent sentence.

"Wha- what makes you say that?" she stammered.

"I couldn't help but notice you've been staring for quite some time now…" she said delicately. Flora could see herself blushing in the surrounding mirrors. _Was I really that obvious? _

"Well I- I wanted to ask you some things…about me, uh, I mean us." A slight flicker of unease crossed the older Flora's face, but it was gone so fast and replaced with a smile Flora wasn't sure if she had even seen it.

"I was wondering when we would have this conversation. Ask away."

There was one question in particular that had been pestering her ever since they had arrived, though she was embarrassed to even think of asking it. Glancing quickly in the direction of the three men still hunched over the puzzle, Flora dropped her voice to barely a whisper "Are you-I mean us…are we and Luke…uhm… are we…?" she couldn't even finish the thought let alone the sentence, her face now beet red. The elder Flora laughed.

"You…could say that."

"But, Luke and I, we're just… friends. I mean I don't feel THAT way about him. At least not now…" the young woman sighed, staring at the elder Luke.

"A lot can change in ten years Flora. At times it's places that change, on other occasions it's people. For better...or for worse."

Once again Flora could feel that there was a deeper meaning behind the veiled words, but she had too many questions to truly ponder it.

"How long has the Family been in control here? And why did people let them take over in the first place?"

"The Family has been in control for about…seven years now. In the beginning they started out very inconspicuously; no one really paid them much notice. It was only when they started to take drastic measures to have power over the city that people realized what was going on. By then, it was too late to stop them. Many happy people lost everything; their homes, their families, sometimes even their lives, in the mad conquest for power."

"Are you…we happy?" she recoiled, realizing the tactlessness of her words. "I'm sorry, that's such a brainless question, of course you must not be…what with all that's happened…"

The older girl thought for a moment, her eyes clouded.

"Am I glad? On the more obvious side of what's happened, no. These past years have been hard in more ways than one. Some days it's difficult for me to even wake up and go through the day without feeling listless. The world has been cruel." She stopped, and then turned to face Flora; two sets of dark eyes met.

"But on the other hand, in some inexplicable way, ever since the three of you arrived, I've felt hope. Hope that for the first time in so long things are going to change, and because of you I think finally they will be for the better. And when they do those I love will be happy. That's why even though it is extremely dangerous, I will do everything I can to change my present, your future. Because when you love someone you must do anything it takes to have what's best for them, no matter the cost."

A silence fell between the two, each thinking deeply about what had been said. Flora looked up and found herself staring at their reflections in the many mirrors that surrounded them. Two extraordinarily similar and yet exceptionally different girls stared back. Outside, she supposed, they were the same, almost identical, but on the inside it seemed to Flora that there was so much more within her older self than her. More thoughts, more memories; more pain.

They were torn from their reverie by a loud click behind them, and a bright light shone from where the professor and the two Lukes stood. It bounced from mirror to mirror within the room finally landing on one directly above them. There was a loud grinding noise, and the door behind them opened slowly, revealing yet another staircase within.

"Every puzzle has an answer." Layton said. "Good work boys, let's head on."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

They proceeded up the long staircase, and discovered yet another obstacle waiting for them on the landing above.

'Wha- what's this?" Luke exclaimed.

A huge chasm stretched down ahead of them with no clear path across and a menacing spiked ball waiting for them on the other side. The only apparent way to cross seemed to be four oddly shaped platforms in the space in front of them. Each platform had elegant gold design on it that seemed to interlock with the paint on the other pieces, which could only mean,

"This… it's a puzzle." Flora said.

'Well then we will just have to solve it to proceed." The professor remarked. He glanced down at the pit in front of them warily. "Floras, this looks very unsafe, and you must respect that I must ask you to stay back while we attempt this." Flora was about to retort that she was older than Luke and this was extremely unfair when the future Flora spoke softly.

"While we understand your concern professor, it seems that there needs to be at least one person on each panel, and as there are four panels, the three of you cannot possibly do this alone. Therefore you have no choice but to allow us to assist you." The professor stared at the platforms in front of them, thinking. After a short pause he turned to face the Floras.

"A shrewd deduction my dear. Although it is against my better judgment I suppose I will have to concede. The two Lukes and I will each stand on one dais and the two of you can stand on the fourth. Then we will move them to form some sort of passage across the room."

They set to work moving the panels, being careful not to step to close to the edges. Working together the five pushed and pulled the platforms across the chasm to try to make a bridge across. It was slow work, and Flora could feel herself getting tired; the pieces were very heavy, and even with the two Floras working together it still took all her strength to get them to budge.

Eventually the shape of a bridge started to form as they continued to manipulate the pieces. Flora could now see the picture the designs on the platforms made when pieced together: an enormous golden dragon. Finally the only part missing was the platform on which she and the elder Flora stood.

"Push it towards the side and we'll pull it in together." The professor said from the panel to their right. Flora took a deep breath, her sides aching. She wasn't even sure if she had the strength left to move a pin let alone this massive block. Her other self saw her exhaustion gave her an encouraging smile.

"We can do it. Let's move it on three," the older Flora said. "One, two, three!" Together they heaved the heavy platform across. It was about to fit in with the other pieces when the weight shifted unexpectedly, and Flora felt her feet slip from under her.

"Flora!"

She swayed to the side, completely off balanced and inches from tumbling over the edge when she felt herself being pushed roughly to the side and she landed on the platform next to hers with a heavy thud. At the same she heard the older Luke cry out.

"NO!"

She looked down just in time to see the older Flora plummet down into the dark chasm, a look of shock still etched on her delicate face, and disappear.


	5. Shattered Facade

**Ahh finally, another chapter! It's been awhile hasn't it? Unfortunatley this chapter is pretty short, and i personally dont like it, but it had to be written to keep the story moving. Stay with me, the next chapter is going to be pretty packed. (Also: i didnt want to spend lots of time detailing Clive's master plan because i assume if you're reading this story you've played the game and know all the explanation, so you don't need a complete redo of all those facts.)**

**Disclaimer: i'm also pretty certain you know what's supposed to be said here as well, so i wont relate it again...**

"NO!"

Clive launched himself forward in a desperate attempt to reach the side of the ledge, but it was too late. The girl had vanished into the blackness, inevitably seconds away from smashing her neck at the bottom of the abyss. Behind him, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps as the Professor and Luke ran to join him and the shell-shocked Flora. He kneeled at the side of the platform, still unable to believe what had happened.

_What was she thinking? We didn't need the girl! Stupid, self-sacrificing fool!_

His great plan was almost complete; he was so close to finally receiving the revenge he desired, and she was supposed to be there at his side when it happened. He was not only doing it for himself, but for her. Together they would rule. But now that dream was crushed. She was gone. Gone forever all because of one insignificant little girl who couldn't keep her damn balance for five seconds. How ironic…

A cold yet maniacal laughter filled the room, causing the professor, Luke, and Flora to turn in alarm. Clive slowly realized that the haunting laughter was coming from his own mouth; it didn't concern him however, it was time to end this pathetic imitation. At this stage, what was the point in keeping it up?

"Luke?" the professor's voice was cautious as he stared at the still laughing young man. Clive turned to face him, a chilling look on his face.

"Enough pretenses professor. I know you've been aware of my motives for quite some time, haven't you?" as he spoke Clive slowly reached up and removed the blue cap from his head, tossing it to the side. Luke and Flora both had looks of shock etched on their faces, but Layton's face was a mask of calm, an unreadable look on his face.

"I see. So my deductions were correct, Luke; or should I say, Clive."

"…C-Clive? What's going on?" Flora's eyes darted quickly between the two men nervously.

"You see my dear, there never was a 'future London'." the professor began, still staring into the dark eyes of the traitorous man standing before him. "This has all been an elaborate charade set up by our friend here. The place that we've been led to believe is the future is nothing more than an extensive stage, made to resemble a possible future. It's a brilliant ruse."

"So…then you mean to say that there's no future Layton or Luke, or…Flora?"

"That is correct. All along we have been being manipulated, by someone who inside is nothing more than a wronged child bent on revenge. That disastrous explosion 10 years ago not only demolished the laboratory where it originated, but a nearby apartment complex as well, killing 10 people… including the parents of a young family, leaving a distraught and enraged child all alone in the world." The professor began to pace slowly, and his footsteps echoed loudly in the cavernous room as he continued on.

"This child was miraculously adopted by an elderly and very well-to-do woman by the name of Constance Dove, and he was raised surrounded by wealth and ease… yet he could never forget what had happened to his parents that fateful day. Ten long years he spent planning and preparing to execute his revenge, and finally the plan is coming into place…isn't that right, Clive?"

"Very good professor," Clive's voice dripped with sarcasm, "although considering your reputation it would have been…disappointing if you hadn't figured it out eventually."

"But professor…" Luke trails on slowly "How on earth did you figure all this out?"

"There have been many clues along the way Luke, many small things out of place." He abruptly stopped pacing and fixed Clive with a cold stare. "Your partner in crime is gone, and I'm sure that blow has hit you hard, but I have yet to unravel the full extent of your plans Clive." As he finished speaking he continued to gaze at the man, a now questioning look on his face.

The features on the young man's face suddenly contorted with a mixture of rage and grief. "She was the only thing that mattered to me, the only good thing I had left in this miserable life, and now she's dead… so now I have no choice but to finish our plans without her. I have to. They deserve what's coming to them; they have for years."

Suddenly and without warning he turned and took hold of Flora by the arm. Pulling her along roughly he dashed toward the doorway leading back to the stairs. Reaching the entryway he turned back to face the stunned professor and Luke.

"I'm afraid this will be our last meeting. Farewell professor. "

With one last scornful glance, he turned, and still grasping Flora roughly by the arm, fled down the stairs and disappeared.


End file.
